The Sea & So Much More
by gancheek
Summary: Some things change. Some things don't. Some things grow. Some things disappear. But hey, that's life.
1. Chapter 1

"She's always there at this time. Who is she…?" The man muttered to himself while sipping a cup of coffee. His fingers traced the cup's smooth surface. _Her hair, eyes and small fragile body captivated his heart. _Such features never triggered his curiosity and made his heart beat faster than ever. One second, the girl was walking by that cobbled pathway. The next, she was sitting on the ledge, staring at the horizon. The wind was very strong every time the girl was there. It was as if she controlled the wind.

The man felt compelled to chase after her, ask her name and settle for a coffee. It was always these times he'd want a company to talk to. It wasn't always that this man wanted company. Heck, he was an independent man, known for his simply delectable features and also for his infamous attitude and smirk. As he settled his cup into the plate, the sun's rays were reflected by the cup onto a name badge pinned onto the man's shirt.

_Natsume Hyuuga_

_CEO, Hyuuga Corporations_

He brought his eyes to the woman once more. Every feature on her screamed perfection but something seemed amiss. She was walking abnormally as though she was trying to fit some rhythm. Expression-wise was different too. He saw struggle and a stop by the nearest lamp post.

_Pain…_

Her ankle looked more fragile than ever.

"Do you need help?" Natsume asked gruffly, trying to look as unintimidating as he usually was. Tired pale brown eyes stared into his. The woman was taken aback by his eyes. She pointed to his eyes slightly and a childlike look appeared on her face. "Your eyes, they are beautiful!" Such awkwardness…

"Oh, I'm fine, actu—"

"You're not. Look, just stay here. I'll get my car. Count this as a blessing."

She was about to retort but he walked off – more like jogged. The woman was contemplating on leaving but before she could even move…

_Zoom!_

A door opened and Natsume helped the woman into the car. Her messed up hair due to the wind tickled Natsume's hand. Trying to hide a blush by the contact even by a mere strand of hair, he closed the car door. And soon, the car was on the move.

"Where to?"

The woman shifted uncomfortably. She turned her head to her left and looked into his face.

"Um… Tokyo University."

Natsume was surprised. "I'm a student there too! Or… was. I'm in the bu—"

"Business and Management Faculty, I know. You do know how famous you are right. I'm told. Well, I'm from the Design and Environment Faculty. "

The words came out in a huff. But it sounded angry. In fact, she is very angry.

"How dare you pull me into this car without my agreement? This is horrible. Now I owe someone. I hate this; let me go to school myself. Now all those stupid fan girls are going to mob me if they see me with you. C'mon they are like 19 and above, I can't believe they are so naïve to like—"

"Shh… Noisy asshole."

Her mouth was covered by Natsume's hand. Her eyes grew wider by that insult. She slapped the hand away in rage.

"You idiot! Now I really believe those articles saying that you're one rude idiotic man. How can you call me an asshole when you don't know me at all? I simply don't understand the likes of you. Cocky is an understatement!"

"And that's the problem. What if I do want to know you?" He drawled, grabbing a strand of the long brown hair gingerly. Most girls would have swooned at the sight of his gorgeousness but this was no ordinary encounter. In fact, the woman drew away in fear and hate.

Luck seemed to be on her side as the car stopped at a junction due to a red light. She shouted to the now-existing driver.

"I'm leaving!"

Her swift actions left Natsume in shock. Before he could follow her, cars from behind honked. _Stupid impatient people._

Something whispered back to him, _you're worse than them. You scared her._

Natsume could only stare at that woman as the car drove past her into a corner. He looked back and saw the last glimpse of her for that day.

Tears glistened in the sun, streaming down her face.


	2. Chapter 2

"Oi, Natsume. What's up with your brain?" Mochu nudged Natsume. All he did since they sat down over a cup of coffee was to stir his cup of hot chocolate. His eyes were dull, staring deeply into a particle in the drink.

"Natsu – Oh!" Mochu was taken aback when he saw Natsume's eyes boring into his.

_Strange…_

"I know that look, bro. You fallen in laaaaaaaaaaav?" He dragged the word, making Natsume smirk bitterly.

In one gulp, he drank his hot chocolate.

"I'm leaving."

Mochu was flabbergasted.

_No one could ever read him. No one at all._

"Finally, my module is over. Now I get to have some break!" Mikan stared into the clock. As everyone filed out of the room, she sat at her desk all alone.

"Mikan-chan, please lock up the lecture hall once you're done. Don't stay here for too long!" Narumi-sensei waved the set of keys before placing them on the lecturer's desk.

When Mikan reflected upon the day's happenings, she felt weary.

_"Shh… Noisy asshole."_

_Her mouth was covered by Natsume's hand. Her eyes grew wider by that insult. She slapped the hand away in rage._

_"You idiot! Now I really believe those articles saying that you're one rude idiotic man. How can you call me an asshole when you don't know me at all? I simply don't understand the likes of you. Cocky is an understatement!"_

_"And that's the problem. What if I do want to know you?" He drawled, grabbing a strand of the long brown hair gingerly. Most girls would have swooned at the sight of his gorgeousness but this was no ordinary encounter. In fact, the woman drew away in fear and hate._

_Luck seemed to be on her side as the car stopped at a junction due to a red light. She shouted to the now-existing driver._

_"I'm leaving!"_

What the heck was Natsume Hyuuga thinking! How could he play with words with someone like her? She hated him ever since high school. His words were filled with insults whenever she walked by. She couldn't believe him when he said that he wanted to know more about her. It pissed her off. Just because she looked different now, he tried to hit on her. She hated it.

But… This type of hate did not originate from high school.

It was something more. It was something that grew since Mikan was very young.


	3. Chapter 3

_Let me go!_

_Don't touch me!_

She huddled into a corner of _that_ room. Cigarette butts lay on the floor flattened. Smoke clouded her view.

"Don't be afraid, darling. Come out… Let's have fun!" An old man swigged the can of beer in a shot. Mikan whimpered in fear. She felt hands touching her neck and shoulder.

Her eyes roamed the room, searching for a woman.

Her eyes widened.

She ran.

Ran away from that very room.

The room that made her realise that her mother is selling her body. After 3 months of searching, that was what Mikan found.

Her life was gone. No one to believe in. No one at all.

Only at ten, a young girl had lost her family completely – Father died, Mother…

She knew no one.

Lived on the streets, she survived on scraps of food thrown out by restaurants nearby.

She was a no body. No home. No family.

As she grew older, she began to forget many things. Her family name, her purpose, her imagination of a child went missing.

As she grew older, her hate towards men grew. They were the ones who killed her father and stole her mother.

Her belief in the integrity of men had disappeared.


End file.
